YouTube is gaining some new improvements apparently based on user feedback. First off, fine-tunable playback speed will let you change it in 0.05 increments (as opposed to 0.25 now). The maximum is still 2x, by the way.
YouTube is also expanding its sleep timer to all users, which works just as you’d expect. You can set the timer to stop playback in 10, 15, 20, 30, or 45 minutes, in one hour, or when the current video ends. This has previously been available for Premium users.
Browsing in landscape mode will be improved on iOS later this year, and the in-app miniplayer is now resizable and moveable. You can create collaborative playlists, and you can design your own custom thumbnails for them – either by using your own photos or engaging generative AI. Later this year, you’ll also be able to vote on videos in playlists.
Badges are coming to YouTube and YouTube Music apps on mobile devices, starting with only a few – being one of the first paid members of a channel, or the person who correctly completes quizzes, for example.
Finally, YouTube on your TV is getting a more “cinematic feel”, whatever that means. Expect new pops of pink, and “other light touches that add dynamism to the YouTube you know and love”, the service says. When you visit a channel page on your TV, a video will begin playing automatically to give you a teaser of the creator’s content.
